Leafcutter Ant

(Acromyrmex octospinosus)

Facts

Facts about this animal

Acromyrmex

cut fresh vegetation to feed to a specialized fungus that grows only in ant nests. This fungus serves as the ants' food source and in return is cultivated and dispersed by the ants.

Did you know?
that the first leafcutter ants appeared more than 50 million years ago, eventually diversifying into more than 210 species within 12 genera today? Leafcutter ants are separated into two groups with distinct characteristics. Among other differences, lower attines use a variety of materials to fertilize their fungi, from dead insects and feces to fallen leaves and grasses. Their colonies are small and typically house a few hundred members living in a single garden. In contrast, higher attines, which include the genera Atta and Acromyrmex, use only plant material to fertilize their fungi.